Travelling to a new destination brings me a mix of excitement and anxiousness. I can't wait to find out what our next place is like, try local cuisine, meet new people, and visit both the more popular attractions as well as hidden spots off the beaten path. But there are also so many unknowns around safety, communication, transportation, and culture that bring me some uneasiness.

Turrialba, Costa Rica is well known for its white-water rafting, but few tourists venture here for other reasons. It's a one- or two-night stop on a longer trip to Costa Rica, not usually a place to stay for several months, as Chris and I are doing. So after 2 flights and a 3 hour bus ride up narrow, winding roads, we found ourselves here in the middle of the Costa Rican rainforest, getting used to our new surroundings. Our apartment is what we hoped it would be, the people around us are amazing, the food is healthy and filled with fresh fruits and vegetables, and our Spanish is getting a little better every day. Our next adventure has begun!

Long-term travel gives us the luxury of taking in the local area without having to pack lots of site-seeing activities into a very short period. We've been in Turrialba for almost two weeks, doing our best to get into some kind of regular schedule. With the sun lighting up our room at 5:30am, we've been getting up to enjoy the early morning - not something we would ever do back in Vancouver at this time of year!

We start the day at sunrise by checking email, reviewing our todo lists, and running errands. If it's Friday, we'll also head over to the weekly farmers market.

Afterwards, I usually head to the gym down the street where I've taken out a membership for the month. Then it's time to work on a project or practice our Spanish.

Around lunchtime, we make a simple plate of rice, eggs, and veggies, or go to one of the local restaurants for similar fare. In the afternoon, we take a walk to explore the area and do a bit more work until dinner time.

Our dinner is similar to our lunch, with lots of fresh veggies and perhaps some of the delicious locally made Turrialba cheese. After dinner, we hang out with our new friends, read, or watch some tv.

After 2 weeks of staying within the boundaries of Turrialba, we decided to venture out to explore the 3000 year old ruins at the Guayabo National Monument. The day ended up being much more of an adventure than we planned and we experienced some of what it's like to be in a rural area far away from certain conveniences we take for granted in bigger cities. Check out our video for the full story!